4 QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED.......................

From: Dario Mobley
To: Moses Cage
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 12:59:38 PM
Subject: I have a point

Mo,I am going to ask you series of questions in an effort to try to see what you think about this assumption but I can't tell you what the assumption is because if I do, it would make the point lose validity considering the masses emotion toward this particular subject.Firstly, we got another one so I am happy about that. I am also happy for Kobe.

The first question is in your lifetime, would you say that Scottie Pippen is the most versatile and therefore best perimeter defeneder you have ever seen? Maybe even the best ever?

--- On Tue, 6/23/09, moses cage wrote:From: moses cage
Subject: Re: I have a point
To: "Dario Mobley"
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 1:25 PM

My first thought it that he is the best perimeter defender I've seen. But I'm not sure if that's me saying that, or the media's influence on me saying that. When I think about Phil putting him on Stockton in the Finals and how that changed the entire series, plus his long arms against 2-guards trying to shoot over him, plus his instincts in the passing lanes and athleticism to block shots and rebound...he has to be considered the best in my lifetime. Nobody combined the size, speed, length, instincts, and play-making ability that Scottie had.Alvin Robertson, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman (with the Pistons), Gary Payton, Gerald Wilkins, John Starks, Dennis Johnson, Xavier McDaniel, and others deserve consideration (and of course Jordan), but Scottie has to be number 1.

From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 1:36:43 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

Okay, I agree that he is the best. I would say Jordan but they had to switch Pippen on Magic Johnson in the 91 finals and the Dream Team put Pippen on Toni Kukoc when they played Croatia in the 92 Olympics. Jordan had the ability but he rarely had to prove as much as Pippen did.

Second Question:

Could the 2008 Celtics and 2004 Pistons beat the 91 Lakers, 93 Suns, 96 Sonics and 98 and 99 Utah Jazz?


--- On Tue, 6/23/09, moses cage wrote:
From: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: I have a point
To: "Dario Mobley" dadeo23@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 1:44 PM

No way! I'm not even gonna discuss the Pistons. Not enough fire power to beat any of those Western Champs in a 7 gave series. That Pistons squad could barely reach 90 points...the Sonics and Lakers lived in the 100s.The Celtics are a more copelling matchup, but Magic, Stockton, GP, and KJ would kill Rondo (who the Celtics offered to the Pistons today...). Also, each of those teams had all-star/mvp-caliber power forwards at the prime of their careers...KG would have had his hands full. The '08 Celtics couldn't win on the road in the playoffs, going 7 games against poo squads. They wouldn't be able to win in Salt Lake or Seattle. The wouldn't have been deep enough either. All of those teams had a bench...Eddie House and Big Baby wouldn't be factors.


From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 2:20:42 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

Okay, let me put it another way.

B. Wallace/Mehmet Okur- Kendrick Perkins - Ervin Johnson - Divac- Mark West/Oliver Miller - Greg Ostertag/ Antoine Carr

R.Wallace - Kevin Garnett- Kemp - Sam Perkins - Barkley - Malone

Tayshaun - Detlef Schremp- Paul Pierce - Worthy (injured)- Richard Dumas/Ceballos- Russell

Hamilton - Hershey Hawkins- Ray Allen - Byron Scott - Majerle - Hornacek

Billups - Rondo -Payton - Magic - KJ - Stockton

They matchup pretty well with all the teams considering you can put Ben Wallace on all the power forwards. Also, Worthy got hurt in Game 3 but played it out. He played an injured 31 minutes in Game 4 and did not play in Game 5. And with the Celtics, none of those teams have a player like Pierce on the perimeter who could create his own shot at any time on anybody. You got to remember that Kobe averaged 25.7 points and shot 40.5% from the field against the Celtics and 22.6 points and 38.1 percent againt the Pistons. That team defense would keep them in any game. The only team that they could not handle was the 92 Blazers in my opinion.Also, you can't say Eddie House would not be a factor considering that Steve Kerr, John Paxson, Craig Hodges and BJ Armstrong were all major factors for the Bulls championships. Also, Barkley says McHale gave him the most trouble and Malone says Duncan. Both long arm defenders. I would say the KG and Rasheed Wallace is as good as s defender as McHale and Duncan. Would you? Ray Allen has a decided edge over anyone at the 2 position. Kemp destroyed Rodman but they still lost to the Bulls and lost in the first round to Denver with another long armed defender in Mutumbo. Tayshaun could stay with anyone of those players except a healthy Worthy but Worthy was not healthy. Yeah, Magic has the advantage over anyone but I would put Billups against KJ, Stockton or Payton anytime.Rondo would struggle but the Celtics team defense would limit them as none of those point guards aside from Magic and maybe KJ could win a series on there own.Let's agree to say that is debatable but on paper, both teams match up well with all those teams.

Third Question:

Which things are more hurtful to scorers? Pick two out of threeZone Defense, More Atheltic Defenders, Hand Checking, Physical Play


--- On Tue, 6/23/09, moses cage wrote:
From: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: I have a point
To: "Dario Mobley" dadeo23@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 2:45 PM

I agree that those teams match-up well, but I guess I'm thinking about how much better those teams were as a whole. The were all veteran teams, who would've been ready to play. Plus, all of them had great leadership. Say what u want, but Hornacek, Hawkins, Marjle, and Byron Scott couldnt really create a shot, but each was a bonifide scorer in his own right. And how dare u put Eddie House in the same category as Paxson, BJ Armstrong, and Steve Kerr? U know better than that D. LOL!For your question, I'd normally say Physical Play, and and Athletic Defender (who is taller than the scorer), but only if we're talking about physical play like it was back in the early 90s...not this sissy ball they're playing nowadays....I need somebody to be able to lay LeBronze out if he comes down the lane (scorers can fly to the cup now bc they know nobody can hit them too hard or else it'll be a flagrant-2/ejection). The fear of cathing a Karl Malone elbow across your face would make these boys think twice before going in for a monster jam.

From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 3:04:00 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

Correct. Eddie House has not hit clutch shots like those players but I meant that he was a shooter that would get a lot of open shots from creation by a good player like Pierce or KG or Ray Allen. I like Byron Scott to be able to compete with Hamilton and Ray Allen better than Majerle, Hornacek or Hershey Hawkins. Remember that these players were starting two guards who all made the all star team in there careers. (I have a point)Okay, so we can say that athletic defenders and physical play make it very hard for an offensive player.

Fourth Question:

Aside from Scottie Pippen and Isiah who was his teammate and maybe Ron Harper pre-injury, what perimeter players in the NBA from 1984-1999 (Dr. J does not count because he was not in his prime, had the all round versatile offensive game like the players below:Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, T-Mac, Lebron, Kobe, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo, Iverson, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, Iguoudala, Turkoglu, Durant, Granger, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Magette, Stephen Jackson or even Kevin Martin.

Let's say Granger, Jackson and Martin are not there yet.

Can you name some players during Jordan's era that had games as versatile offensively as any of the players I named above? (I think you know what I am getting at here now. It is just a case and not my personal opinion though)


6/23/09, moses cage wrote:
From: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: I have a point
To: "Dario Mobley" dadeo23@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 3:28 PM

Ok, first let's admit that athleticism and creativity is at an all time high in this era. The things players can do now weren't even thought aboutback in the 80s and 90s (think about Vince's dunk contest victory in Oakland...His first 2 dunks were the best 2 I had ever seen....PERIOD. Then when he stuck is elbow in the rim, I was in disbelief.).Having said that, Dominique has to be at the top of the list....his althelticism was off the charts. Drexler, Larry Nance, Tom Chambers, and Kenny "Skywalker" are also in that category. Other than Isaiah, no point guard could do what CP3 does, but Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway, and Rod Strickland were unguardable. Nobody could do what Lebron does, but Jordan, Wilkins, Skywalker....Worthy had a nice Statue of Liberty dunk, but there just werent as many cats who were creative.

On the other hand, other than a handful of players today, nobody has the intermediate game the way the "Microwave" and Hersey Hawkins had.

From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:04:58 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

Athleticism is one thing and there is a very strong argument the there were a lot of high jumpers back in the day. Wilt Chamberlain always raved about what Elgin Baylor did and you can see clips of what Dr. J and George Gervin did. If we fast forward a little more we get the Jordan's, Larry Nance, Kemp and Dominique and a little further gives us Vince, Dwight Howard, Stoudamire, Lebron and Kobe's.However, if you check my question again, I said the total offensive game which means dribbling, passing, shooting, and overall coordination to have Jordan like skills. Only Drexler was a perimeter player out of the people you named but if you remembered his game, he was not a create your own shot anytime type of guy like the guys named before. Think about the skills Mitchell had and the skills Jared or even Broderick had. Mitchell was more complete from a skill point of view and that is what all those players I named had. Even the great Bernard King with his great offense was not as versatile as any of those players from this generation that I named. King could score but could not pass like they did. Carmelo is a updated version of Bernard King.

My point is this and I will leave you with this:

Considering that the NBA had different rules, has more athletes, Kobe having to go against more players with his talent level and an arguable point that the teams today (Boston/ Detroit example) would matchup well or in my opinion beat 5 of the six teams Jordan played in the finals, could you have a real round table discussion about who is better out of Michael Jordan & Kobe? (Keep in Mind that is IF KOBE WINS SIX CHAMPIONSHIPS)

On Tue, 6/23/09, moses cage wrote:
From: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: I have a point
To: "Dario Mobley" dadeo23@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 4:13 PM

My bad, I didnt look at the question fully. You're right, but everybody worships Jordan as the best ever (as I do, and always will), but I see him as more than a basketball player. He impacted basketball, sports marketing, opened blacks up to Madison Avenue as CEOs and Brand Names, showed us how to be professionals and still be hip, etc.etc....nobody will ever do that again just because he changed the game and was a world icon. But as a player, anybody who cant see Kobe as a threat to MJ on the court is blind, biased, or just dont understand the game. If Kobe gets to 6 championships, we really have to re-visit the discussion about who is the greatest of all time. Especially if Kobe gets to play an epic Finals against the Celtics or Lebron, or another great player in his prime.Thx for the questions...where the hell is your sports blog. I need something to read other than Bill Simmons. His hate for Kobe and love for everything Boston-related is started to get a bit old and stale to me.

From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:18:20 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

I think Simmons is a basketball guy but his love for Boston Area sports clouds his judgement. I was pissed at his last Kobe article and I wrote him a long and horrible note. Anyhow, Do you mind if I post these conversations on the blog?---

From: moses cage
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:24:20 -0700 (PDT)
To: Dario Mobleydadeo23@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: I have a point

Of course not. Post away. I agree with your view on the last Kobe article. He hated on him the way a fan hates on a player...I guess he's a columnist so its all his opinion, but I hate that his views are taken as gospel by so many of his readers. Then he added that last paragraph to give Kobe props in case someone like u emails him a nasty letter, he can go back and say "Well you didn't read the last paragraph where I said how great Kobe is." I'm starting to not like him.

From: Dario Mobley dadeo23@yahoo.com
To: moses cage moses_cage@yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:50:33 PM
Subject: Re: I have a point

Cool. I will post it. Simmons usually keeps it real except when it comes to boston teams and there rivals. I don't like that because he is one of the few white writers with a passion for nba basketball. He knows his history and understands "some nba officiating" and he tries to point out bad officiating on both sides although I think that he talks about the refs too much. Anyhow, I am off my man. I will post that convo tomorrow.Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry